JPH11334302A - Caster device and its operating structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a malfunction-preventing sate to a caster for simultaneously locking, unlocking three items of rotation, horizontal swing motion, and height adjustment of a wheel. SOLUTION: A wheel 16 is installed on a support 15. A second locking body 11 and a first locking body 8 are upward, downward, movably, rotatably fitted in a barrel part 21 projected from the support 15. Rotating the support 15 rotates a screw shaft 18 with the aid of the internal tooth 24 of an intermediate cover 10 and an adjusting gear 7, changing the height of an upper cover 5. Horizontally moving an operating lever 9 to keep cam parts away from both the locking bodies 8, 11 elevates an oscillating locking body 12 by means of a first spring 13 to lock the rotation of the wheel 16. In addition, engaging the thrust gears 24 of both the locking bodies 8, 11 with a ring corrugation 39 locks the rotation of the support 15. Rotating an intermediate ring 10 adjusts height regardless of locking the wheel 16.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a caster device which can be used for furniture such as a table or various fixtures such as a stand-type blackboard and an operation structure thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A caster device is provided with wheels that roll on the floor surface. Generally, wheels are mounted on a support that is mounted on a lower surface of a main body of furniture or the like so as to be horizontally rotatable (or rotatable).
The wheels are configured to be horizontally turnable. It has been proposed to lock the rotation and horizontal turning of the wheels.

For example, Japanese Patent No. 2647337 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-156304 disclose, for example,
The outer case opened downward is fixedly fixed, the inner case is horizontally rotatable inside the outer case, the wheels are mounted on the inner case, and further, the inner case is locked for rotation of the wheels. A structure is described in which a member and a member for locking the rotation of the inner case are provided, and these members are individually operated by two push buttons protruding upward from the inner case and the outer case. .

[0004]

In these prior arts, in order to be able to always operate the push button, the push button must be exposed upward regardless of the rotation posture of the inner case. Therefore, there is a problem that a person may erroneously press the push button with his / her foot.

In addition, since the push button must always be exposed upward, it can be applied only to furniture and furniture having horizontal legs, such as a table. There is also a problem that it cannot be applied to mounting on the lower surface of furniture. An object of the present invention is to solve these problems.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a caster device which is mounted on a lower surface of a supported object such as furniture so as to be horizontally pivotable, and which is rotatable. , A control lever disposed horizontally movable above the support, and a lock body which moves up and down between a lock position and a lock release position by the horizontal movement of the control lever. Then, a large number of engaging portions such as grooves and holes are formed on the end surface of the wheel along the circumferential direction, and the lock body or a member that moves in conjunction with the lock body moves to the lock position when the lock body moves to the lock position. A locking portion that engages with the engaging portion and holds the wheel so that the wheel cannot rotate; and further engages the lock body and the turning prevention member located near the lock body when the lock body moves to the lock position. As a result, a turning-preventing engaging portion for holding the support in a non-rotatable manner is formed.

According to the present invention, the caster device according to claim 1 or 2 is provided at a plurality of portions on the lower surface of furniture or the like, and the operating levers 9 of the caster devices 4 are simultaneously operated. Also includes a configuration having an interlocking mechanism that can be operated.

[0008]

The caster device of the present invention locks and unlocks the rotation and horizontal turning of the wheels by horizontally moving the operation lever.
The operating lever does not need to be exposed above the furniture legs or the like, and can be arranged on the lower surface of the furniture. Therefore, there is no or almost no possibility that a person accidentally touches the foot to move the operating lever. Therefore, an unintended malfunction can be prevented.
Further, since the operation lever is operated from the horizontal direction, it can be attached to the lower surface of the box-shaped furniture main body, and therefore, the applicable range can be expanded.

In addition, since the rotation of the support (in other words, the turning of the wheels) is directly locked by the vertical movement of the first lock by the operation of the operation lever, the locking structure of the support is more robust. There is also. When the adjuster mechanism is provided as in claim 2, the supported objects such as furniture are held in a state without rattling according to the unevenness of the floor, and the height of the supported objects arranged in parallel is adjusted. However, in this case, the height can be adjusted regardless of whether the wheels are locked or not, so that it is not necessary to perform the lock / unlock operation of each wheel when adjusting the height, which is convenient.

Further, according to the configuration of claim 3, since the wheels of the plurality of casters can be locked and unlocked at the same time, the burden on the operator can be reduced.

[0011]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. (1) First Embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 8) FIGS. 1 to 9 show a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1 (A), this embodiment is applied to a table 1 in which a pair of right and left legs 2 formed in an inverted T shape supports a top plate 3. A caster device 4 having a height adjusting function (adjuster function) is attached to both ends of the horizontal portion 2a. Therefore, the table 1 is supported by a total of four caster devices 4.

1 (B) and 1 (C) are schematic views of the interlocking mechanism, and as shown in FIG.
It is possible to operate the caster devices 4 at the same time, or to operate the four caster devices 4 supporting one table 1 at a time as shown in FIG. ). . Outline of Components Next, the structure of the caster device 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is an overall exploded view, FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views of some of the components, FIG. 5 (A) is a view from VA-VA of FIG. 2, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal side view, FIG.
Is a view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 2, and FIG. 8 is a view showing the operation.

As shown in FIG. 2, the caster device 4 includes, in order from the top, an upper cover (upper support) 5, a screw cylinder 6, an adjustment gear 7, a first lock body (upper lock body) 8, and an operation lever 9 , Intermediate cover (height adjusting ring) 10, second lock body (lower lock body) 11, swing lock body 12, first and second
The springs 13 and 14 include a support 15 and a pair of wheels 16.
The second lock body 11 among the lock bodies 8, 11, 12 corresponds to the lock body described in the claims, and the first lock body 8
A configuration without the swing lock body 12 is also possible.

The horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2 is formed in a groove shape opening downward, and the upper cover 5 is fitted into the tip portion from below. The upper cover 5 may be fixed to the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2 by an appropriate means such as screwing. Most of the members constituting the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2 and the caster device 4 are P
Although it is made of synthetic resin such as OM resin or polyamide resin, it may be made of metal or the like.

[0015] Upper Cover 5, Screw Cylinder 6, Adjust Gear 7 FIGS. 3A and 3B show the relationship between the upper cover 5, the screw cylinder 6, and the adjust gear 7. FIG. As shown in these figures, the upper cover 5 is open downward,
The screw shaft is located at the position along the center line of the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2
The pin 18 and the pin portion 19 are provided so as to project downward with the screw cylinder 6 positioned closer to the outside of the horizontal portion 2a. And screw shaft 18
While the screw cylinder 6 is screwed from below, the adjust gear 7 is rotatably fitted in the pin portion 19. The adjusting gear 7 is held by a snap ring or the like so as not to fall off from the pin portion 19.

A large-diameter gear portion 20 is integrally provided at the upper end of the screw cylinder 6, and the gear portion 20 and the adjusting gear 7 are engaged with each other. Therefore, when the screw cylinder 6 is rotated via the adjustment gear 7, the upper cover 5 and the leg 2 move up and down. In this case, the adjusting gear 7 is set to a vertical dimension larger than the vertical thickness dimension of the gear section 20. Therefore, even if the screw cylinder 6 moves up and down with respect to the upper cover 5, the gear portion thereof
The engagement between 20 and the adjusting gear 7 does not come off.

As shown in FIG. 6, the screw cylinder 6 is
Is rotatably fitted to a cylindrical portion 21 projecting upward from the center of the cylindrical portion. . First Lock Body 8 As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A, the first lock body 8 fits inside the upper cover 5. In this case, since the first lock body 8 is considerably smaller than the groove width of the upper cover 5,
Inside the upper cover 5, a guide portion 5a for preventing the first lock body 8 from rattling is provided. As clearly shown in FIG. 4, a pair of side plates 8a are provided at the rear half of the first lock body 8.
Therefore, the rear half of the first lock body 8 is formed in a groove shape with a downward opening.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 2, 5 (A) and 6, the first lock body 8 has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view (other shapes may be used) in order to prevent interference with the adjustment gear 7. Hole 22 is drilled. Further, the first lock body 8 is integrally provided with a ring portion 23 concentric with the screw shaft 18 of the upper cover 5. As shown in FIG. 6, the ring portion 23 is rotatably fitted to the cylindrical portion 21 of the support 15. Also, the ring portion of the first lock body 8
23 is in a state of stepping down. This is a screw shaft
This is to avoid buffering of the gear 18 with the gear 20.

On the lower surface of the ring portion 23 of the first lock body 8, a thrust gear 24 is formed as an example of the turning prevention engaging portion described in the claims (the engaging portion is formed in the circumferential direction). Holes and protrusions scattered along may be used). In this case, the thrust gear 24 is provided near the inner periphery of the ring portion 23,
A flat surface 23a is left outside the thrust gear 24 in the ring portion 23.

[0020] Operation Lever 9 As can be easily understood from FIGS. 6A and 7, the operation lever 9 is slidably fitted inside the first lock body 8. That is, the operation lever 9 is provided on the horizontal
It fits inside the first lock body 8 so as to freely slide in the longitudinal direction of 2a.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the operation lever 9 is provided with a watermark hole 25 for preventing the adjustment gear 7 from being buffered. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, for example, the operation lever 9 is integrally formed with a U-shaped frame portion 26 which is fitted in the cylindrical portion 21 of the support 15 in plan view. The frame 26 is formed so as to be stepped downward, and the space thereof communicates with the open hole 25.

The frame 26 is set so as to overlap the flat surface 23a of the ring 23 of the first lock body 8 in plan view. Then, for example, as clearly shown in FIG.
A cam portion 26a for increasing the thickness of the frame portion 26 is integrally formed on both the upper and lower surfaces of the tip portion of the 26. When the operation lever 9 is retracted in the direction indicated by the black arrow in FIG.
26a is the flat surface 23a of the ring portion 23 in the first lock body 8.
When the operation lever 9 is protruded and moved as indicated by a white arrow, the cam portion 26a is moved to the flat surface 23a of the first lock body 8.
Is set to leave.

Needless to say, the connecting portions between both ends of the cam portion 26a and the upper and lower surfaces of the frame portion 26 are inclined in order to smoothly slide the operation lever 9. . The intermediate cover 10, the support 15, and the wheels 16 For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the intermediate cover 10 is formed in a ring shape in plan view, while the support 15 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with an upward opening. I have. The intermediate cover 10 is rotatably and irremovably fitted on the upper portion of the support 15.

In this case, as shown in FIG.
An annular groove 27 extending over the entire circumference is formed on the outer periphery of the upper part of the intermediate cover 10, while a projection 28 that fits in the annular groove 27 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate cover 10. By fitting the intermediate cover 10 into the annular groove 27 against the elasticity of the cover 10 and the support 15, the intermediate cover 10 is fitted to the support 15 so as not to come off and to be rotatable.

In this case, the projections 28 of the intermediate cover 10 may be formed in an annular shape or may be formed in a state scattered in the circumferential direction. Further, an annular groove 27 may be formed on the inner periphery of the intermediate cover 10, and a protrusion 28 may be formed on the support 15. Claw on support 15
28 may be formed, and a hole 27 (may be a groove) may be formed in the intermediate cover 10. Further, the intermediate cover 10 may be fixed to the support 15 by means such as screwing, but the claw 28 is
When the holes 27 (or grooves) are fitted to each other, there is an advantage that assembly is simplified.

Internal teeth 29 are formed on the inner periphery of the intermediate cover 10, and the internal teeth 29 mesh with the adjusting gear 7. Therefore, the support 15 and the intermediate cover 10 are
When the screw shaft 18 is rotated around the axis of the screw shaft 18, the screw shaft 18 is rotated via the adjustment gear 7, whereby the upper cover 5 moves up and down. The screw shaft 18, the first lock body, and the operation lever 9 are integrated with the support 15 and the intermediate cover 10, and do not move up and down.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the intermediate cover 10 can be raised to a height close to the bottom surface of the upper support 15. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 (B), notches 30 and 31 for avoiding buffering with the intermediate cover 10 are provided on the side plate of the upper support 15 and the side plate of the first lock body 8. Is formed. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 (C), a pair of bearing recesses 32 are formed in a portion of the support body 15 eccentric from the center thereof, and the axle 33 of the wheel 16 is formed in these bearing recesses 32. The pair of wheels 16 is rotatably mounted on the support 15 by fitting. Although not clearly shown in the drawing, the axle 33 is fitted into the bearing recess 32 against elasticity, and therefore, even if the table 1 is lifted, the wheel 16 does not fall off.

As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4, or FIG. 6, a cover portion 34 that covers the wheels 16 is integrally formed inside the support 15. As shown in FIG. 4, annular recesses 35 are formed on the opposite surfaces of the two wheels 16.
An engagement groove 36 is formed at an appropriate interval as an example of an engagement portion formed in the claims on the inner peripheral surface of the device.

[0029] Second lock body 11 and swing lock body 12 As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 6 (A), the second lock body 11
It is formed in a ring shape in a plan view so as to be rotatably fitted to the cylindrical portion 21 of FIG. Then, the first peripheral portion is provided on the inner peripheral edge of the upper surface.
An annular unevenness 39 into which the thrust gear (unevenness) 24 of the lock body 8 can fit is formed over the entire circumference. The upper surface of the first lock body 8 outside the annular unevenness 39 is a flat surface 11a. Therefore, the flat surfaces 23a, 11a of the lock bodies 8, 11
The frame 26 of the operation lever 9 overlaps in a plan view.

As shown in FIG. 6A, a first spring 13 for urging the second lock body 11 upward is fitted in the cylindrical portion 21 of the support body 15. For example, as can be easily understood from FIG. 4, the second lock body 11 is provided with an arm 40 having a U-shaped cross section extending downward toward a portion between the left and right wheels 16 and projecting horizontally outward. The swing lock body 12 is attached to the arm 40 by a pin 41 extending parallel to the axle 33 of the wheel 16 so as to be horizontally rotatable. The rocking lock body 12 is provided with a pair of left and right protrusions 42 that enter the annular recesses 32 of the left and right wheels 16 as an example of the locking portion described in the claims, and when the second lock body 11 moves up and down. The left and right protrusions 42 can be fitted into and disengaged from the engagement grooves 36 of the wheel 16.

As shown in FIG. 6A, for example, between the arm 40 of the second lock body 11 and the swing lock body 12,
The second spring 14 that biases the protrusion 42 in the direction in which the protrusion 42 is fitted into the engagement groove 36 of the wheel 16 is interposed. FIG. 6A shows the second lock body 11.
Shows a state in which the protruding portion 42 is disengaged from the engagement groove of the wheel 16 in this state. In this state, the second spring 16 has a natural length that is not compressed. Also, the second lock 16 is bonded to the arm 40 of the second lock body 11 and the swing lock body 12 so as to prevent the swing lock body 12 from rotating by its own weight.

[0032] Adjuster Mechanism and Interlocking Mechanism As can be understood from the above description, the screw shaft 18 and the pin portion 19 provided on the upper cover 5, the screw cylinder 6 and the adjusting gear 7, and the intermediate cover 10 correspond to the adjusting mechanism described in claims. Make up. As partially shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, one end of a first link 43 is rotatably connected to a rear end of the operation lever 9 of each caster device 4 by a pin 44. The first link 43 is disposed inside the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2 as shown in FIG. 1B, and the other end of the two first links 43 is connected to the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2. The other end of the second link 45, which is attached to the center of the second link 45 so as to be freely rotatable, is rotatably attached to the other end by a vertical pin. One end of the second link 45 protrudes out of the leg 2 so that the handle 45
a. Therefore, when the second link 45 is horizontally rotated by placing a hand on the handle portion 45a, the operation levers 9 of the pair of front and rear caster devices 4 simultaneously project and retreat.

In the case of FIG. 1 (B), 4
The left and right second links 45 are operated by rotating the left and right second links 45 and the third links 47, as shown in FIG. 1C. When linked by a link mechanism consisting of the fourth link 48, the four caster devices 4 can be operated at the same time by rotating by putting a hand on a handle portion 47a provided on the third link 47.

Needless to say, the links 43, 45, 47, 48 and the rotating shaft 46 shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C constitute an interlocking mechanism according to the third aspect. The link mechanism is not limited to the link mechanism, and a belt, a wire, a gear mechanism, or the like may be used. The simultaneous operation of a plurality of casters via the interlocking mechanism is not limited to the casters of the second and third aspects, but can be widely applied to casters having an operating lever that moves horizontally. it can. Also,
It is also possible to integrate the operation lever and the first link.

[0035] Description of Operation In FIG. 6, the operation lever 9 is retracted in the direction indicated by the black arrow, and in this state, the cam portions 26a of the operation lever 9 are opposed to the flat surfaces 11a, 23a of the lock members 8, 11. The two lock bodies 8 and 11 are separated from each other because of being sandwiched between the thrust gear 24 of the first lock body 8 and the second lock body 11.
Are separated from each other. Therefore, the support
15 can be freely turned horizontally.

Further, since the swing lock body 12 and the second lock body 11 are lowered against the first spring 13, the swing lock body
The twelve projections 42 are separated downward from the engagement grooves 36 of both wheels 16, so that the wheels 16 can freely rotate. Further, the support
By being able to freely rotate 15 and the intermediate cover 10,
You can also adjust the height. That is, in the state of FIG. 6, the lock of the rotation of the wheel 16, the support 15, and the height adjustment is released.

When the intermediate cover 10 and the support 15 are manually rotated by a person, the rotation of the screw shaft 18 causes the upper cover 5 to move up and down so that the height of the table 1 can be adjusted. When the operation lever 9 is protruded (forward) as shown by a white arrow in FIG. 7, as shown by a dashed line in FIG.
The cam portion 26a of the lock member 8 is detached from the flat surfaces 11a and 23a of the lock members 8 and 11, whereby the second lock member 11 is pushed upward by the first spring 13, and the protrusion 42 of the swing lock member 12 is moved upward. Wheel
The wheels 16 are fitted into the 16 engagement grooves 36, whereby the wheels 16 are locked non-rotatably.

At the same time, the second lock body 11 is held via the wheels 16 so as not to rotate, and in this state, the annular unevenness 39 of the second lock body 11 and the thrust gear 24 of the first lock body 8 fit together. The first lock body 8 cannot rotate, and the support 15 is also held so as not to rotate. In other words, the wheels 16 are locked so that they cannot turn. However, since the intermediate ring 10 is rotatably attached to the support 15, the height of the table 1 can be adjusted by rotating the intermediate ring 10 regardless of whether the wheels 16 are locked.

Thus, by pushing and pulling the operating lever 9 in the horizontal direction, the rotation and turning of the wheels 16 can be locked or unlocked simultaneously. Also,
Since the operation of at least two caster devices 4 is performed by the operation of one second link (handle) 45, the work can be easily performed. When shifting from the unlocked state to the locked state, the operation lever 9 is moved to the unlocked state even if the thrust gear 24 of the lock bodies 8, 11 and the annular unevenness 39 do not exactly match in plan view. When the support 15 is slightly rotated from above, the second lock body 11 is urged by the first spring 13 so that the thrust gear 24 and the annular unevenness 39 are fitted and locked with the support 15 so that it cannot rotate. You. Similarly, even if the projection 42 of the swing lock body 12 is not fitted in the engagement groove 36 of the wheel 16 with the operation lever 9 shifted to the locked state, the swing lock body 12 is When the wheel 16 is slightly rotated, the projection 42 of the swing lock body 12 fits into the engagement groove 36 of the wheel 16 because the wheel 16 is biased.

In FIG. 1B, the handle portion 45a of the second link 45 is shown.
Is projected to the outside of the table 1, but it may be projected to the inside of the table 1 or, for example, an image (not shown) is provided on the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2 so as to be slidable back and forth. The second link 45 may be rotated by only sliding. It is also possible to fit the intermediate cover 10 to the support 15 so that it cannot be pulled out or rotated. In this case, when the wheels 16 are locked, the legs 2 of the table 1 are fixed at that height.

(2) Second Embodiment (FIGS. 9 to 10) FIGS. 9 to 10 show a second embodiment in which the upper cover 5 can be attached in a one-touch manner.
(A) is a plan view, (B) is an isolated cross-sectional view, (C) is a cross-sectional view as viewed in CC of (A), (D) is a cross-sectional view as viewed in DD in (B), and (E) is EE in (B). FIG. 2 (F) is a sectional view taken along the line FF of FIG. 1 (A).

The horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2 is open downward,
The upper cover 5 is in a state where an upper portion 5b having a U-shape in plan view and a lower portion 5c having a cylindrical shape are connected to each other, and the lower surface of the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2 is brought into contact with a shoulder surface 5d of the upper cover 5. You have set. The inward projections 50 are formed on the inner surfaces of the horizontal portions 2a of the legs 2, respectively.
A long groove 51 into which the front inward projection 50 fits is formed at the root of both outer surfaces extending along the longitudinal direction of 5b, with both ends opened in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal portion 2a. .

A hole 52 is formed in the lower surface of the tip of the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2, and a claw 53 is formed in a portion of the upper cover 5 corresponding to the hole 52. As shown in FIGS. 9 (B) and 9 (F), a through hole 54 is formed in the rear end wall of the upper cover 5 so that the operation lever 9 can be vertically moved. With this configuration, as shown in FIG. 10, the upper cover 5 is fitted from below into the wide portion near the rear of the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2, and then the upper cover 5 is turned toward the tip of the horizontal portion 2a. When the horizontal slide is performed, the long groove 51 of the upper cover 5 and the inward protrusion 50 of the horizontal portion 2a are fitted to each other, and the claw 53 is deformed against elasticity.
Fits into the hole 52, whereby the upper cover 5 cannot be pulled backward and cannot be dropped.

The means for attaching the upper cover 5 can be widely applied to a caster device having a structure other than those of the first and second aspects. (3) Third Embodiment (FIG. 11) FIG. 11 shows a third embodiment which is a modification of the operation lever 9. That is, in this embodiment, the frame portion 26 of the operation lever 9 is used.
Is formed in a horseshoe shape in plan view (a U-shape with a front opening may be used), and a cam portion 26 a is formed at the rear of the frame portion 26. Therefore, if the structure of the first embodiment is used, when the operation lever 9 is protruded, the lock members 8, 11 are separated from each other and unlocked.

(4) Fourth Embodiment (FIG. 12) FIG. 12 shows a fourth embodiment which is another example of the operation lever 9. In this embodiment, a first lock body 8 and a second lock body 11 having thrust gears 24 are disposed above and below an operation ring 57 having gear teeth 56 formed on the outer peripheral surface.
By forming the cam portions 8b, 57a, 11b inclined in the circumferential direction on the contact surface between the lock body 57 and the lock bodies 8, 11, when the operation ring 57 is rotated, the lock bodies 8, 11 are moved up and down. And the gear teeth of the operation ring 57.
The rack 58 of the operation lever 9 is meshed with 56.

In this example, the operating lever 9 can be switched between the locked state and the unlocked state by moving it horizontally in the longitudinal direction. Further, in this example, the operation ring 57 is rotated by the operation lever 9, but a photographing operation lever may be protruded sideways on the operation ring 57, and the operation lever may be rotated (in this case, in this case). The operation ring 57 and the operation lever are integrated.)

(5) Fifth Embodiment (FIG. 13) FIG. 13 shows a simplified fifth embodiment having no adjuster function.
1 shows an embodiment, in which (A) is a cross-sectional view and (B) is a plan view of a wheel 16. In this embodiment, a cylindrical projection 16a is provided on the end surface of the wheel 16, and an engaging hole 59 as an example of an engaging portion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical projection 16a.
Further, a protrusion 60 is formed to be fitted into and disengaged from the engagement hole 59 of the wheel 16 by the vertical movement.

On the outer peripheral surface of the second lock body 11, gear-shaped outer engagement teeth 61 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper cover 5 as an example of a turning prevention engaging portion. The inner engagement teeth 62 into which the outer engagement teeth 61 are fitted and disengaged by the vertical movement of are formed.
Furthermore, a cam body made of an elastic plate such as a leaf spring is
63 are provided integrally. In this embodiment, since the cam body 63 of the operation lever 9 is made of an elastic plate, the rotation and turning of the wheel 16 can be simultaneously locked and unlocked without impairing the reliability of the operation of the operation lever 9. Can be.

As can be understood from this example, the first lock body 8 of the first embodiment is not always necessary. Further, a turning-preventing locking portion may be formed on the horizontal portion 2a of the leg 2 or the like. Wheel
As the engagement portion of the projection 16, projections may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the columnar projection 16a at appropriate intervals, and a hole formed in the lock body 11 may be fitted into this projection.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a partial perspective view of a table to which a caster device according to a first embodiment is attached, and FIGS. 1B and 1C are schematic views of an interlocking mechanism.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a member according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a member according to the first embodiment.

5 (A) is a view from VA-VA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 (B) is a view from VB-VB in FIG.
FIG.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional side view in a locked state.

FIG. 7 is a view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view in an unlocked state.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an assembled state of the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a third embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a fifth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Table 2a Leg horizontal part 4 Caster device 5 Upper cover 6 Screw cylinder 7 Adjust gear 8 First lock body 9 Operation lever 10 Intermediate cover (adjuster ring for height adjustment) 11 Second lock body 12 Swing lock body 13, 14 Spring 15 Support 16 Wheel 21 Cylindrical part 23 Ring part of first lock body 24 Gear part of screw cylinder 26a Cam 29 Internal teeth 36 Engagement groove as an example of engagement part for rotation lock of wheel 24 Engagement member for turning prevention Thrust gear 39 as an example of a stop portion 39 Annular unevenness as an example of a turning prevention locking portion 42 Projection as an example of a wheel rotation locking locking portion

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A support 15 mounted on a lower surface of a supported object 2a such as furniture so as to be freely rotatable horizontally, a wheel 16 rotatably mounted on the support 15, and a horizontally movable upper part of the support 15. And a lock body 11 which moves up and down between a lock position and an unlock position by a horizontal movement of the operation lever 9.
A plurality of engaging portions such as grooves 36 and holes 59 are formed in the end surface of the wheel 16 along the circumferential direction, and the locking member 11 or the member 12 that moves in conjunction therewith is provided with a locking member. When the lock 11 is moved to the lock position, locks 42 and 60 are provided for engaging the locks 36 and 59 of the wheel 16 to hold the wheel 16 in a non-rotatable manner. The rotation preventing members 8, 5 are formed with rotation preventing engagement portions 39, 38, 61, 62 which engage with each other when the lock body 11 moves to the lock position and hold the support 15 unrotatably. Caster equipment. 2. An adjuster mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an adjuster mechanism capable of adjusting a vertical distance between the supported object 2a and the support 15 is provided.
A caster device provided so as to be operable regardless of whether the wheels 16 are locked or unlocked. 3. A caster device 4 having an operation lever 9 that moves horizontally as in claim 1 or claim 2 is provided at a plurality of positions on the lower surface of the supported object 2a. An operation structure of a caster device including an interlocking mechanism capable of simultaneously operating the operation levers 9 of 4.